Ça Recommence
by tantei no hime
Summary: Marius Pontmercy keeps on waking up on the dawn of the 5th of June, plagued by the unending nightmare of seeing his friends' deaths. There is nowhere else to go but the barricades.
1. I: Through the Looking Glass

**Setting: **Canon Era

**Rating: **T

**Genre: **Friendship, Supernatural

**Characters: **Marius, Éponine, Courfeyrac, Enjolras, Gavroche, Jehan, Combeferre, Bahorel, Joly, Bossuet, Grantaire, Feuilly, Cosette, Jean Valjean, Javert

**Warnings: **character death and timey-wimey shenanigans

**Word Count: **838

* * *

**_Ça Recommence_**

_**I: Through the Looking Glass**_

_"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" – John Wooden_

_Smoke billowed around him, suffocating him, and yet it is the only thing that conceals him away from sight. The National Guard fired at them from every direction, the barricade long since overrun. From the corner of his eye, he saw Courfeyrac felled by the ricocheting grapeshot, but he had no time to grieve, not yet. Suddenly, a bullet pierced his collarbone, and he could feel his consciousness slipping away. At that moment, with his eyes already closed, waiting for death, he felt a strong but seemingly gentle hand grab him. "They have taken me prisoner, and I will surely be shot."_

* * *

Marius Pontmercy awoke with a jolt, and found his friend's green eyes staring at him.

"I see you have decided to wake up, my friend. I was worried when I did not see you return last night," Édouard de Courfeyrac greeted, his face still leaned in close to Marius'.

Then, upon seeing the shocked look on his friend's face, he asked. "What's wrong? Did your amour reject you? Why, you look as if all the humours have been drained from your body."

Marius blinked, as if breaking out of a trance. "The funeral?"

"Is today. Are you coming with us? Enjolras and the others are waiting outside."

Marius arose from the mattress. "I saw you die, Édouard." He grabbed Courfeyrac's arm to prevent him from leaving. "The revolution failed."

"Which means that we will succeed. Prouvaire once told me that in some cultures, they believed that dreams tell us the reverse of what is to come." Courfeyrac laughed as he tried to loosen Marius' grip.

A dream. That's what it was, nothing more. It was still the 5th of June. His Cosette has not left him. His friend is still alive. Marius breathed a sigh of relief, and let go of Courfeyrac.

Courfeyrac huffed in mock annoyance. "Come now, you have ruined the sleeve of my new coat." He smiled at his friend. "Then, I will see you in a republic later." With that, Édouard de Courfeyrac reached for his sword cane and left. Marius stood alone in the middle of the room, hoping that Courfeyrac is right.

* * *

He wandered around the city, taking a different route from the one in his dream. At around noon, he turned back, stopping only at the baker's shop to buy a loaf of bread. This he feasted on when he reached the apartment at Rue de la Verrerie.

When he had finished, he started once again on his aimless walk when the portress called to him.

"Monsieur Pontmercy!"

"What's the matter? What do you want?"

"There is someone looking for you."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Well, where is he?"

"In my lodgings."

At the same time, a small freckled creature emerged from the portress's lodge. It was that unhappy girl, Éponine, clothed in what Marius realised was the same worker's clothes she had worn in his dream. All at once, he saw a vision of it. Éponine, covered in her own blood, who took for herself the bullet meant for him, her dying confession of love, _the letter_.

He needed a moment to stop himself from shaking before he spoke. "Have you a letter for me?"

The child bit her lip before affirming it. "I – yes. It's from your beloved, Monsieur." She hastily gave him the letter before turning to leave. "Pardon, Monsieur. I shouldn't have come here."

Marius halted her. "Stay with the portress, Éponine. The streets are not safe. There are riots today."

Éponine hesitated, and the portress protested until Marius gave her five francs to do so.

* * *

Marius did not go to Rue Plumet that night. He had no doubt Cosette's letter contained the message that she was no longer there, even if he had not opened it yet. Instead, he went to Rue de la Chanvrerie, for he determined to save Courfeyrac's life as he did Éponine's.

Marius arrived to witness the barricade being overtaken. He was too late to save them, and he cursed himself for believing in his seemingly prophetic dreams.

Bahorel was shot as he tried to raise the flag, hailing the Republic as he fell, defiant to the end. The place descended to chaos soon afterward. Courfeyrac was hit by a bullet as he tried to shield Gavroche. This was in vain, for the bullet traversed through his body and also hit the gamin. Enjolras died alongside Combeferre as they were fighting the National Guards atop the barricade.

Marius himself was taken before he had the chance to find out the fates of the remaining insurgents. He was swiftly executed by a firing squad. "Just like Prouvaire," he thinks as the report sounds.

* * *

It is when he wakes up once again on the dawn of June 5th that he begins to doubt if everything is really a dream.

* * *

If you want to blame anyone, blame Pilf's nonnies for placing this firmly in my mind.

Don't worry, I'm not abandoning my other on-going stories for this.

The title comes from a line in "La Journée est Finie."


	2. II: What You See is What You Get

******Word Count: **1,392

* * *

_**II: What You See is What You Get**_

On the dawn of June 5th, Marius Pontmercy awoke from a nightmare, or from what he thought was certainly one.

As in his dream, Courfeyrac greeted him with an invitation to join them in the funeral procession. This time he agreed, and as he foresaw a riot, he took with him the two pistols Inspector Javert gave him before the Gorbeau robbery.

* * *

At the Rue de l'Ouest, a boy with a triggerless pistol joined them. It was the little Thénardier, Gavroche. Marius tried to convince the boy to leave, but to no avail. Instead, Gavroche asked him for one of his pistols, "since he had one during the '30 revolution." Marius reluctantly obliged, if to give the boy something resembling protection.

Courfeyrac laughed at this scene, and when it had ended, he went and patted Marius on the shoulder. "That's Gavroche for you, Marius. Don't worry about him, he's a fine shot."

* * *

The band augmented at every moment. On the Rue des Billettes, a man of lofty stature, whose face Marius did not clearly see, joined them. Gavroche, who was preoccupied with toying about Marius' pistol, and singing vulgar ditties of his own creation, took no notice of the newcomer's arrival.

When they reached the Rue de la Verrerie, Courfeyrac took his leave, as he had forgotten his purse and lost his hat again. Marius, who had remembered that in his dream, Éponine was waiting for him, volunteered to fetch the said articles for his friend.

The dream, of course, was right. As Marius descended from the steps, hat and purse in his arms, Mother Veuvain halted him to say that he had a guest waiting for his return. It was Éponine, wearing a worker's clothing, no doubt exchanged with the first man she saw. It was ill-fitting, but the change in clothing suited her much better than her old rags.

Marius' conversation with the gamine had gone the same way as it had in his dream. Only, instead of making her stay with the portress, Marius asked Éponine to deliver his letter to Cosette. Éponine's face fell at this request. Nevertheless, she agreed, and she left with Marius' letter stashed in one of the pockets of her oversized coat. Marius had shouted his gratitude to her slowly disappearing figure, but whether Éponine heard him or not, she gave no indication.

* * *

When Marius returned to Courfeyrac's side, he noticed that M. Mabeuf had joined their number. Surprised, Marius approached the octogenarian.

"M. Mabeuf, please go home."

"Why, M. Marius!"

"M. Mabeuf, go home. There is to be a row."

"That is fine, M. Marius."

"There will be a shooting, M. Mabeuf."

"That is well."

"They will fire cannons."

"That is alright. But, pray tell me, where are the rest of you going, M. Marius?"

"We are going to overthrow the government, M. Mabeuf."

"That is good."

It was the end of the matter. M. Mabeuf had set out to join them, and no amount of persuasion from Marius would prevent him from doing so.

The rumour soon spread among the students that an old member of the Convention had joined them. This, of course, was false, as anyone who knew the octogenarian could testify to.

* * *

A mob does not go where it originally intends to. A gust of wind blows it away to a new direction. Thus Marius' group skipped Saint-Merry, and instead found itself building a barricade at the Rue de la Chanvrerie, on Bossuet's suggestion.

The Rue Saint-Denis was in fact a place most suited to have built a barricade. Its entrances widened out on one side and on the other, narrowed into a pocket without an exit. The Corinthe created an obstacle, the Rue Mondetour barricaded on the right, and no attack was possible except from the Rue Saint-Denis, that is to say, from the front.

Mother Hucheloup was indignant at the students building a barricade around her establishment, but that didn't stop them from including her tables and chairs to their barricade. The poor woman merely threw her hands up the air in defeat. Meanwhile, the inebriated Grantaire was left with the table on which he was sleeping off the alcohol in his system, Enjolras having judged said table too small.

Enjolras, Combeferre, and Courfeyrac were directing everything, and the barricades they have constructed looked exactly like the ones Marius saw in his dream.

The tall man who had joined them in the Rue des Billettes was now making himself useful by helping in the construction of the smaller barricade.

Gavroche was helping in the construction of the larger barricade. The workers grumbled when Gavroche told them to place a glass door at the front of the barricade, but they still did so. This accomplished, Gavroche merrily skipped to the heart of the Corinthe to help the men in their manufacture of ammunition.

Enjolras had not judged Bahorel to be cautious around a gun, and instead delegated him in the press' productions.

Marius had not noticed Éponine slip inside the blockade. She did not expect him to do so, and she hid herself behind the men producing ammunition. Marius himself was helping in the construction of the larger barricade.

* * *

After they are satisfied that their barricade will hold out an assault, they rest. Jehan Prouvaire has taken to reciting his verses, with his friends as an audience. It is the same one he recited in his dream, Marius realises.

Enjolras did not join them, however, and is standing at the top of the barricade, keeping watch like the archangel going to war.

* * *

The man who joined them at the Rue des Billettes passes in front of Marius, and in a flash, Marius recognises him as Inspector Javert, the very man who gave him the pistols. He had no doubt that the inspector was a spy. This he told Courfeyrac, who quickly passed it on to Enjolras. His cover having been blown, Inspector Javert struggles before he is disarmed by the students, and tied to a post.

The first part of the battle starts soon after. This time, Bahorel is not the first to fall. Feuilly who was one of those defending the top of the barricade, falls off it locked together with a National Guard who tried to shoot Gavroche. Shots ring in the air when they hit the ground, and neither of them climb back up. Gavroche, wide-eyed, is dragged back to the safety of the wine shop by Courfeyrac.

There are other differences. It is Joly whom the soldiers capture and execute. The words "Vive la France" are heard before the tell-tale shot. Bossuet, reckless with grief, follows his friend soon after when he is stabbed in the back with a bayonet.

M. Mabeuf dies in an attempt to put up the flag, as in Marius' dream. Marius shudders when the old man who loved peace and introduced him to his father falls.

Marius once again tries to hold off the attack with gunpowder, but this time Éponine is not shot by the bullet meant for him, as none of the soldiers saw him preparing the gunpowder.

* * *

It ends, and they are left with peace for the rest of the night. They knew, however, that this peace would not last, and that for most of them, it will be their last night. Courfeyrac, hiding his grief beneath his usual smile, starts the song, passing around a bottle of wine. Soon, everyone joins in and their mood lightens.

M. Fauchelevent arrives once more with the fifth uniform, and they manage to save five men from death. In gratitude, Enjolras grants him his request to have Javert. Marius' blood runs cold when he hears the shot.

* * *

Dawn comes hand in hand with death, which everyone welcomes with open arms. Gavroche is not the only one to die in the attempt to recover ammunition. Courfeyrac runs after him, and dies in the attempt to shield him from the bullets. Bahorel and Prouvaire die fighting side by side after the barricade is overrun. Combeferre and Enjolras were the last to die, having been identified as leaders of the insurgents, and they died while bravely waving the tricolour.

Grantaire does not wake up on time, and he is left searching for the still-warm bodies of his comrades, cursing himself at every step.

* * *

**A/N: **So apparently three days of power outages can do wonders with your productivity. Also, believe me when I say I felt positively sick writing his chapter.

A little explanation: The chapter number corresponds to the timeloop number. The Brick is considered Loop 0, hence the previous chapter which happened right after it is Loop 1.


	3. C: Turn the Hour Hand Back

**Word Count: **757

* * *

_**C: Turn the Hour Hand Back**_

Marius tries. And tries again. He knows he'll go back to the dawn of June 5th, but he tries. It is a vicious cycle of failure and death, a hell worthy of Sisyphus, and he sees no escape.

* * *

In one iteration, he avoids the barricades, avoids seeing the blood spilt in the name if the Republic. He walks around the Field of the Lark, then to the Luxembourg, he does everything to avoid going back to the rooms he shared with Courfeyrac, for he knows that Éponine is waiting for him there. And yet, not even this gave him the mercy of seeing the 7th of June.

In another, he goes to the address Cosette gave him in the letter, intent on telling her the truth, but he backs out at the last moment. He decides not to tell anyone, and bear the weight upon himself.

* * *

He tries to change things little by little. Tries to grab M. Mabeuf's arm when he marches up to raise the flag, tries to be more careful so that Éponine would not take a bullet for him, but still he fails.

* * *

He stopped waiting for the world to stop turning, and by now, a hundred 5ths of June later, he is devoid of hope, more cynical than even Grantaire. Still, he goes to the barricades every time he awakes, and always there is that small glimmer of hope, that this will be the last time he goes through such an infernal day.

* * *

Today, on the 100th June 5th (he is not sure, for he has stopped counting a long time ago), he once again marches beside Courfeyrac and his friends. He does not stop M. Mabeuf when he spots him among the marchers, nor does try to tell Éponine to stay away from the barricade. He simply marches, and lets things run their course.

* * *

Everything happens as they are supposed to. Joly, Bossuet, and Grantaire are dining in the Corinthe when they build the barricade. Javert is caught as a spy because of Gavroche, who takes his pistol.

He does nothing when an officer shouts _"Qui vive?"_ nor does he do anything when Enjolras replies with his strong voice "The French revolution!"

He merely crouches inside the barricade with his pistols when the first volley of gunshots rain upon them, nor does he stir when Bahorel falls the same way he always does.

He dares not stop M. Mabeuf when the old man volunteers to raise the fallen flag. He had no more tears to shed when the octogenarian once again falls in a blaze of gun powder.

* * *

As he did the first time, he uses up his two shots to save Gavroche and Courfeyrac. He remembers what he had done to save the barricade once upon a time, and he emulates it, even as he sees Éponine's hand block the bullet from its path.

He enters the tap room and seizes the barrel of powder, located where it has always been, near the doorway. He goes out to battle, obscured by the smoke that filled their side of the barricade, and once again trudges towards the torch. He tears it away from the paving-stones supporting it, and carries it away with his free hand. He climbs to the top of the barricade, as he has always done, and now everyone stared at him, calculating what he was about to do.

He stood there, with his foot upon the stones, the torch in his hand, his face lacking in emotion, when he lowered the torch so that they barely touch the barrel, and shouted.

"Fall back! Fall back or I blow the barricade!"

Marius could feel everyone look at him with bated breath, as if afraid that the slightest sound would make him drop his torch. The army officer stares at him, and he returns the gaze, panting and filthy and _tired_, tired of this repetition, and his eyes carried strength in them that he didn't know he still had.

"Blow it up and take yourself with it!" the officer retorts, a mixture of fear and disbelief lacing his voice.

He pauses for a moment, but he is determined to do it. He won't back down this time, for he has nothing left to lose.

His hand grips the torch tighter, as if it was afraid to let go. He replies, his voice stronger than it ever was. "And myself with it."

He drops the torch straight toward the barrel, and everything disappears into smoke.

* * *

**A/N: **Short update this time, and I swear this will be the last you'll see of the SADS arc (there is a pun to be made here, I think). If I actually follow my notes, the next chapters will be Marius actually trying to get to know the Amis. Meanwhile I got myself distracted and upset thinking up a Cosette-and-Enjolras-as-siblings AU where the end game is Enjolras singing ECAET because Papa Valjean was too late to save Enjolras' friends.


End file.
